just back from VRG Turkey Bowl vintage races at Summit Point! Videos

[d15b7]

hey fellas! just returned -- had a GREAT three days!! ended up racing in Big Bore Vintage against some really cool cars (bunch of V8 Mustangs (one very fast one) a real GT40, and a whole slew of others. the fast Mustang and I went back and forth all weekend, with him besting me every time, up til Sunday's last race, when we both decided to start off in the back of the grid, side by side (I was on the inside and he was on the outside). this negated his 20+ car length advantage from the start of the green flag to T1, and made for a really cool vid (you get to see a LOT of the other cars we pick our way up through them all. the GT40 was my absolute favorite!!). enjoy!

 

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmUHWCpbUJmApj6nsqXiE96n4T-C

 

 

 

and this is a short one -- it's the Relay Race from Saturday. it's a team race with 4 different legs. I was running in the Big Bore leg. my main competition was going to be the fast Mustang (of course!). I was surprised at the start -- the starter usually gives a 5 sec warning and then points to you to go (everyone takes off when pointed to, dependant on the previous teamate's performance in the previous leg); this time he didn't give warning and just pointed and said GO! I fumbled for a sec and then left, just a touch behind the Mustang. didn't really matter tho because the Mustang drug me all the way down to T1 lol. then the battle ensued in earnest -- I think we gave it a good shot (multiple passes for the lead)!!!

 

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmUHWCpbUJmApj1q_24YVatoGbBd

 

enjoy!

 

Todd

[MichaelD]

Todd,

 

Thanks for sharing. Looks like a fun day. Nice of you to back off the Mustang in the second movie.

[Croc]

That looked like a very well set up and nicely driven Mustang. The straight line speed advantage looked about right for a top race spec 302 Windsor. But it also looked to have more brake effectiveness than the standard HSR/SVRA vintage race set up that I run on my 65 fastback - I would be very interested to study that. But the end result is what I expected. Beautifully driven as always Todd! Thank you for sharing.

[DaveD]

Todd,

 

Thanks for posting a couple of excellent driving videos. I see so many videos of cars that are being thrown around and the driver is so animated with yanking the wheel back and forth trying to squeeze too much speed out of their car. Your video is an excellent example of smoothness and consistency and the speed that is rewarded by doing so. I was surprised to see the Mustang at the end of the race in the first video. It looked to me like when it was just the 2 of you in the second video, he was able to slow you up enough in the first couple turns after the straight that it enabled him to keep you in range to pass again on the straight. But that did not happen in the first video. Kudos to you. I like your car too!

 

Dave

[d15b7]

thanks guys! I appreciate all the nice remarks! Croc -- I talked to the guy extensively (his name was Robert). he was super nice, and he was similar to me, in that he was a serious 'modern car' racer too (his modern car was a 2013 Boss 302S which he raced in TA4 I believe. he was a very very good driver, and that's by far the best handling vintage Mustang that I've ever come up against. he had a nice Toter and a really fantastic crew that made adjustments on the car all thru Friday til it was handling like that. the motor was a 289 (he promised me it was legit and not a 302) and it was def a wet sump; no dry sump. he did have a Jerico 4 speed in it. brakes were the proper old school (Kelsey Hayes I think?). his crew chief claimed 460 hp at the wheels (which I believed too). he was running vintage legal Hoosiers.

 

the trick to winning against him was being able to enter T1 ahead of him. our laptimes were very close, with me turning very slightly faster times (when I wasn't behind him fighting to get around). I was 2-3 tenths faster. that sunday race when we both started in the back -- I was very careful to make sure on the start that I moved up but always tried to keep it two abreast on the front straight after the green flag flew so that there wasn't room for him to squeeze by. after that I picked my way through traffic and completed the first full lap still slightly ahead of him into T1, and that was all the cushion I needed to be able to start pulling away ever so slightly lap after lap.

 

and yes I def find that 'sawing at the wheel' and fighting the car with big slides etc might look and feel fast, but the clock usually disagrees! lol! the Seven likes to dance and move a bit, but not overly so. little gentle movements of the rear countered by staying ahead of it with the corrections/steering make for a nice fluid line around the track. I even concentrate on trying to make nice smooth swift shifts (without banging gears!). people laugh, but that transmission has never been apart in 23 years of track/racing. and it's still on the original clutch!!!

 

oh and Dave -- thanks! I like the old girl too!

[Croc]

Thanks for the extra detail Todd. The Mustang of that era handle very well (as a 1960s car) as a standard package. I find mine better on vintage treaded rubber (Goodyear Blue Streaks) than slicks as it helps the rotation in the corners with some needed slip. I guess he likely is not using the standard rear axle but most likely the Lincoln Versailles axle since that allowed disc brakes on the rear or a custom 9 inch axle rear end. For 460hp at the rear wheels on a 289 I guess he was revving pretty high like 8 and above.

[d15b7]

he was still running drums on the back (the crew chief guy was readjusting them every session!). he told me he was shifting at 7800-8000 every shift but that the motor could take 8500 (but that he preferred not going there due to accelerated wear). he told me motor was very fresh (two races) and had been a $20k proposition (thus him trying not to go over 8k rpm to extend life).

 

BTW I was shifting at 6500-6600 haha

[Croc]

Excellent information - Thanks Todd.